Washington DC – Day Three
Summary
We visited :
- Arlington Cemetery (Recommend)
- Oyamel Cocina Mexicana – Excellent Mexican Restaurant- ( Recommend)
- West Potomac Park – Jefferson, FDR , Martin Luther King & Lincoln Memorial ( Recommend )
- Ben’s Chilli Bowl & Oohh’s & Aahh’s (Not Recommend )
Arlington Cemetery
What is it ?
Largest Military Cemetery in the US with over 400 000 cemeteries of fallen soldiers and their families . It is also home to John F Kennedy’s Grave with the eternal flame . There is also the tomb of the unknown solider and a large amphitheater structure.
Getting To The Cemetery
Arlington Cemetery is in Virginia. You can catch a train from Washington DC or drive . We caught the train from station near our hotel and got off very near the cemetery . Very convenient.
Entrance
There is an entrance fee and additional fee if you want to use the tramp tour option . If you are not up for walking pick the tramp tour option . It is the largest military cemetery in the US !
We passed through thousands of gravestones. Regardless of your origin you will feel proud of the men and women who sacrificed their lives for their country !
It is about a 15-20 minute walk to JFK’s grave and the eternal flame .
We paid our respects to JFK and made our way to the amphitheater. We didn’t even know this existed . Came across it as we walked through the cemetery .
We sat by and watched the guard guarding the unknown soldier’s tomb .
From there we walked back to the front gate and caught an Uber back to our hotel . Highly recommend visiting Arlington Cemetery. Gives a better appreciation for those who serve in the military.
Oyamel Cocina Mexicana
We were feeling like having Mexican food for lunch so looked up a near by place and walked to Oyamel . We picked based on reviews .
The place did not disappoint! We were seated quickly and the food was delicious. We had fresh guacamole, tacos, potatoes and dessert . All the dishes were excellent. I am very picky about Mexican food and I was satisfied .
Walking In Washington
After lunch we walked to West Potomac Park from the restaurant. Passed Capital Hill and many other buildings .
West Potomac Park
We found West Potomac Park to be less crowded compared to the Washington Monument/ Lincoln Memorial. We started at Jefferson Memorial. To get to there was a scenic walk . We we were there just before sunset and managed capture some beautiful photos .
Jefferson Memorial
Visited the Jefferson Memorial. Roman style building . Kesavan told me about Jefferson’s relationship with a girl he enslaved . Juicy gossip overshadows the achievement of people !
Sunset Views
As we made our way to the next memorial the sun set for the day . This entire area was just beautiful. I can only imagine how much more stunning it will be in spring with all the cherry blossoms. This area has many cherry blossom trees .
FDR Memorial
FDR memorial seemed simpler compared to others . By this time it was dark . We took some photos and moved on .
Martin Luther King
After FDR we came across MLK’s memorial. The man sure knew how to write ! Portions of his famous speech was captured across different parts of the memorial. We paid our respect and moved on .
Washington Night Time Walks
As we walked from MLK’s memorial to the Lincoln Memorial we passed the structure below . It was beautiful looking . Didn’t find any verbiage about it . Nevertheless took some photos and moved on .
Lincoln Memorial At Night
Made our way to the Lincoln Memorial. We had seen it a day before during day time and it was stunning. At night time it was a whole other level . Just blindingly beautiful. It rivalled structures I have seen in Greece and Italy .
Dinner
We had done a lot of walking so made our way back to the hotel . From the hotel we caught an Uber to try Ben’s Chilli . My husband is a big foodie and wanted to try this landmark institution.
Even presidents have ate here . To be honest I was not a big fan . I have had much better chilli ! To each their own
After the chili we walked to a soul food place my husband had found during his research called Ooh’s and Aahh’s . This was also a miss for me . The place was too run down and the food mediocre. Sometimes you win sometimes you lose . All part of the experience. We caught a Uber to the hotel and called a night !
